Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)

No Independent Ireland candidate ever spat in anyone’s face or made racist remarks to anyone. We only hear such stories from the far left.

In a manner reminiscent of those who were warned of consequences of unbridling immigration in decades past, let us be frank: a nation that does not control its borders loses control of its future. We have witnessed in this situation the inflow of people not matching the outflow of facts.

Today, the Minister spoke about the Irish people who travelled abroad and our proud history in that regard. We do have a proud history in that respect. Irish people travelled abroad with their passport in their hand, however. Irish people travelled abroad to America, Canada and Australia not with the hand out, but looking for the hand up. They worked hard and diligently and never asked for anything. There is a big difference between that and a lot of the people coming into this country and what is being provided to them. The argument the Minister makes about our proud history of emigration and migration is a little bit different from the facts of what is happening today in this country.

The Minister and many Members talk about all the good things, and I appreciate there are good things. Some 95 languages are spoken in Cork city in Apple in my constituency. I am married to an immigrant, a Spanish gentleman, who lives in Ireland and has actually become an Irish citizen since. I understand and enjoy multiculturalism. What I do not enjoy, however, is people entering our country without a passport, presenting themselves with no information or us requiring no information about that.

Is the Minister aware that someone entered this country and when questioned at Dublin Airport and asked how they entered the country, which is a simple question of a set of standard questions set out by the his Department, replied, "Hot air balloon”? Is it acceptable for anyone who is respectfully entering a country without a passport or any identification to be so flippant and blasé about entering a nation, while requiring accommodation, food and sustenance from that nation? It is unacceptable for a person to be so flippant to use the phrase, "I entered by hot air balloon. That is how I came into Ireland." That person should have been turned around and put on the plane back. That is the reality of it.

Members have spoken about how everything is rosy and marvellous in the garden-----

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